Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-04-20
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WAAr rms AUr MEANS.
A Terse ENplsnstion OF the Erect ot the Iuter-
state Commerce Law,

Terse EN lsnation OF the Erect OF the luter
state Commerce Law.
The following deliversuce from the inter.
state commerce commission concerning the
workings OF the new law will be read with
interest
Congress has not taken the management
OF the railroads out of the hands Of the rail.
road companies. itahss simply established
certain general principles under which inter.
state commerce must be conducted. Ii has
enacted in section that all charges for inter.
state transportation shall be res ssonable and
just; hes prohibited in section all manner
OF unj ust determinations (; has forbidden in
section all undue and unreasonable
preferences and advantages has required
In the same section reasonable and equal
facilities for the inter charge OF traffic
and has prohibited In section 5 the
pooling OF freightS Thst, in substance,
Is the Interstate commerce law. There is
nothing novel in these provisionA They
simply bring back the business OF the com.
mon carriers to the well settled principles of
the common law. Yet no one can deny that
there was urgent need OF their statutory for.
mutation. Alleged difficulties in putting
them in operation only disclose examples Of
the extent to which they have been violated
| in the past These sections OF the act are Ok.
pressed In plain words. A construction must
| be given TO them ia the first instance by the
| carriers and their patrons. Good faith exhib.
tied in an honest effort to carry out the re.
| quirements Of the Law will involve reasonable
aud fair-minded officials in no danger OF
| damages OF hneA The elasticity of the statute
| 10 their favor Is noticeable. Throughout the
| act a. II now stands in confessedly expert
| mental form, there Is exhibited an obvious
and q generous purpose to allow to the cor
| pOfations ample scope in the conduct OF their
| business - common carriers for the peOp
and fair consideration of every reasonable
claim, while insisting upon just, impartial,
| open and consistent rates OF charges to hich
every citizsn shall he subject alike whose
situation is the same Surely the people
| could not ask for less.
| The language aid the tenor OF the act
| wholly fail to justify railroad managers il
| any such there be, who refuse to accept re-
| nsioilites, decline to offer rates, neg lect
| to announce conditions OF trsffi ., emharrass
the customary interchange OF business and
| impose st8guaton upon trade while they
| stick in the bark of the phrases ana eX-
pressions OF the law, inventing doubts and
imagining daugers. 1t il still more uni usti-
fable for railroad companies 10 make use OF
general clauses OF the law, ignoring its modi.
tying and eniarging words and formulas in
order to impose additional burdens upon
localities, trade, professions, manufacturers,
consumers, classes Of travellers or employees,
straining and repressing every construction
in favor OF the corporate treasury and quot
ing the new law as their authority for all
manner OF petty exactions. The powers OF
the commission are entirely adequate to cope
with such conduct, the existence of which il
not affirmed, although it has been some " hat
publicly suggested. The same statute which
enscts that charges for like sery ice shall be
uniform to all also provides that charges in
every case aud for every kind and class OF
service shall be reasonable and just"